Improvement in picker-houses for opening and cleaning cotton



AThvrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD KITSON, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN PICKER-HOUSES FOR OPENING AND CLEANING COTTON, dc.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 55,1!8, dated May 29, i866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD KITsoN, of Lowell, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Picker-Houses, which are the buildings wherein machinery is employed for opening and cleaning cotton or other fibrous substances; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which Jrorm a part of this specification, in which-- Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section; Fig. 2, a plan, and Fig. 3 a transverse section on the line A B of Fig. 2.

My invention consists in constructing the walls of picker-houses with perpendicular tlues or passages opposite the spaces between the bea-ms in the side walls of the building, or in the end walls when more convenient, said ilues extending from the bottom or near the bottom ot' the building upward to or near the top, and provided with openings through the inner portion of the walls communicating with the spaces between the beams, or with other inclosed spaces or conveniently-arranged dust- -trunks suspended beneath the beams, so that dust-pipes may be connected with any cotton opening and cleaning machinery or apparatus and the inclosed spaces or dust-trunks, and all the tine dust, dirt, and refuse matter which is separated from the cotton may be blown or drawn by a current of air oft' through the inclosed spaces or dust-trunks and the hollow walls or lues to any convenient place of deposit.

The perpendicular dust-trunks in pickervhouses are generally made ot wood and arranged within the Adifferent apartments, and in many picker-houses the upper rooms only are used for opening and cleaning cotton, while the lower rooms are used for carding or other purposes, and all the perpendicular dusttrunks pass through the lower or cardin g rooms to the cellar, which is used for deposit of dust and dirt. These perpendicular trunks occupy considerable space which might be used to greater advantage. Besides, in case ot' tire,

which is of frequent occurrence in pickerhouses, these wooden trunks add to the combustible material and greatly endanger the building.

The object ot' this invention is to economize room within the picker-house and to lessen the liability and in many cases prevent the destruction of the building by fires, which frequently occur in cotton opening and cleaning machinery.

In the drawings, A A represent the side walls of a 1. icker-house,in the construction of which perpendicular iues or passages B B are formed within the substance of the said walls.

These dues extend from the bottom or near-y the bottom ot1 the walls upward to or near the top of the same, and are provided with openings C C, made through the inner walls, said openings communicating with the spaces E between beams F F, the tloors G on the top of the beams, and casings H, secured to the under side ofthe same inclose the spaces between the said beams, thus forming convenient dust-passages, through which the dust, dirt, and refuse matter which is separated from the cotton may be blown or drawn by a current of air oft' through the inclosed spaces E and the hollow walls or tlues B B to any convenient place ot' deposit.

l sometimes construct a separate dust-trunk and suspend it from the ceiling beneath the beams and connect said dust-trunk with the perpendicular flue within the side or end walls of the building, in which case the spaces between the beams are not inclosed.

The dust may be conveyed from cotton opening and cleaning machines to the inclosed spaces E or dust-trunks suspended beneath the beams through pipes or tubes, one end of which would connect with the machine, and the other end with the inclosed space or dusttrunk, either downward through the door Gr or upward through the casing H or the bottom ot' a dust-trunk, so that the dust and dirt may pass through said pipes or tubes into the inclosed spaces or dust-trunks to be blown ott', as above stated.

The interior of the flues or passages B B should be smoothly plastered with mortar or cement to prevent dust or dirt adhering to the sides of the same, and the inclosed spaces or dust-passages E E may be lined with any fireproot' substance, so that slight lires would do no great injury to the interior surfaces.

In order to apply my improvement to existing picker-houses it will be necessary to widen the Walls from top to bottom ot such build- The hollow Walls or lues B B and openings ings by building on (between the windows) C, in combination with the iuelosed spaces be sucient Width to form e flue from cellar to tween the beams or theirequivinlents,thewhole attic, so that either of the latter can be used arranged substantially in the manner and for as a dust-room, or said dust can be conveyed the purpose specified.

to some other point from the flues7 if desired, RICHARD KITSON. and deposited in it chimney or other suitable In presence of t inelosure. l J oHN E. CRANE,

I eleini- J. S. WHITNEY. 

